: characterized by insincerity, irony, or whimsical exaggeration
: with insincerity, irony, or whimsical exaggeration
Examples of tongue-in-cheek in a Sentence
Adverb
The whole interview was done tongue in cheek.
Recent Examples on the Web
Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The duo also posed with Dwayne Wade on the red carpet, and the former professional basketball player shared a tongue-in-cheek message of support for his wife by bringing in a real goat for group photos.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Shanahan, tongue in cheek, suggested the 49ers would never be involved in stealing signs.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tongue-in-cheek
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Adjective
From gritty political reality to absurdly cutting political commentary, tongue-in-cheek parody to touching, intimate drama (plus a moody adaptation of a Russian short story), voters have a wide selection from which to choose.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The duo also posed with Dwayne Wade on the red carpet, and the former professional basketball player shared a tongue-in-cheek message of support for his wife by bringing in a real goat for group photos.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
It’s being conceived as a PG-13 with tongue in cheek, per the movie’s meta title.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Shanahan, tongue in cheek, suggested the 49ers would never be involved in stealing signs.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tongue-in-cheek
Cite this Entry
“Tongue-in-cheek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tongue-in-cheek. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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